What Is Nocturia, and What Can I Do About It?
Imagine you are having the most wonderful dream. Just as you get to the best part, you suddenly awaken and have an urgency to pee.
We’ve all been there before. Waking during bedtime hours to urinate is called nocturia, and it’s more common than you might think. One-third of adults older than 30 make at least two trips to the restroom per night, according to the Urology Care Foundation.
Nocturia can have many causes, including insomnia, medication, drinking liquids before bed, pregnancy, an overactive bladder, urinary tract infection or GI issues.
Frequent Urination Negatively Impacts Quality of Life
Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night, but frequent disruptions impact the quantity and quality of rest. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one-third of Americans do not get the suggested seven hours of sleep per night.
Decreased sleep from nocturia can cause many negative side effects, such as difficulty concentrating, poor work performance and moodiness. Nocturia can also increase the risk of falling, especially in older adults.
What Can You Do to Reduce Incidence of Nocturia?
By creating healthy habits and making some lifestyle changes, you may be able to reduce your frequency of nighttime urination. You may want to try two modifications: changing your sleeping habits and your medication.
Develop Healthy Sleep Habits
When we sleep, the body releases an antidiuretic hormone, which slows urine production in the kidneys. Lying awake during the night can reduce the production of this antidiuretic hormone, so the kidneys produce normal volumes of urine.
If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you should do some probing as to why you’re experiencing sleep disruptions. You may be able to make some modifications to help improve your sleep quality.
You may not be able to sleep for countless reasons. Stress and anxiety can cause insomnia, as well as late-night TV watching and phone use.
Doing meditation or following a bedtime routine can help you relax if you feel stressed. Too much screen time can disrupt your circadian rhythm and keep you awake at night. Setting up a technology-free bedroom will help you relax at night and get the rest you need.
Everyone, regardless of age, should limit screen time before bed. Don’t sleep next to your phone, and set your phone on airplane mode when you sleep. Do not watch TV in bed or fall asleep with the TV on.
Discuss Medications with Your Doctor
Consult your medical provider to discuss the effects of any medications you may be taking. It is important not to make changes to your schedule without talking to your doctor.
It’s also important to limit caffeine and alcohol, especially at night, because they act as diuretics and promote dehydration. Therefore, you should consider reducing or eliminating caffeine and alcohol from your diet. Sugar also can be dehydrating, so drinking sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas and sweetened coffee drinks can also cause nocturia.
Medical Conditions Could Be Affecting Nocturia
If your sleep does not improve with better habits, you may need to visit your doctor. Some medical conditions can cause nighttime urination.
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a name for a variety of urinary symptoms. It is characterized by a sudden, uncontrolled urge or need to urinate. Frequent urination is defined as going to the bathroom more than eight times in a 24-hour period. About 30 percent of men and 40 percent of women have OAB.
If you are retaining fluid, this may be a sign of another health condition. When the heart is not able to pump blood effectively, this condition is called congestive heart failure. This condition causes fluid to build up in your body. Talk to your primary care physician if you experience frequent urination, increased thirst, swelling in your feet, legs or abdomen, weight gain or shortness of breath.
Other conditions that can affect nocturia may include diabetes, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, pregnancy and childbirth, pelvic organ prolapse, menopause, enlarged prostate, edema or hypertension.
Diagnosing and Treating Conditions That Cause Nocturia
Once you are referred, a urologist can diagnose and provide treatment for urinary tract infections, overactive bladder and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Cystoscopy is a procedure that uses a fiberoptic camera to view the inside of the urethra and bladder. After infusing water or saline into the bladder, the doctor can examine the urinary tract and detect problems with urine flow and emptying the bladder.
Cystoscopy takes only 5 to 15 minutes, but it can be helpful in diagnosing bladder control, urine retention, bladder stones, blood in the urine and painful urination.
Call Your Urologist to Make an Appointment about Nocturia
If you are suffering from nocturia, you have options. You don’t have to endure daytime tiredness and low energy. Call your urologist and make an appointment to discuss your medical history and your symptoms. Your doctor may need to get a urine culture to find out important information about why you get up during the night to urinate.
Because a myriad of health conditions can cause nocturia, it is important to keep a health journal and write down your symptoms. To prepare for your visit, take notes on how often you urinate and whether any modification makes your symptoms better or worse.
Multiple conditions may lead you to seek treatment and possibly surgery. For 40 years, patients have received safe, high-quality outpatient surgical procedures with increased savings and convenience at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) across the country. Check with your physician to determine if you have a health condition that would require a full-service hospital for treatment.
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